Monday, November 28, 2005

Fox News Host Chris Wallace Claims Bush “Never” Linked Saddam and al-Qaeda In a stunning display of historical revisionism, Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace argued this morning that President Bush never tried to link al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein: [T]hat specific quote there where you say he couldn’t distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein, he wasn’t saying that they were linked at all. He was saying one was as bad as the other, and when he said in that same answer something about that Saddam Hussein would like to use a terrorist network, he wasn’t saying that they would like to use al Qaeda. So you’re making a link there that the President never made. Wallace focused on a single statement President Bush made on September 25, 2002. (“[Y]ou can’t distinguish between al Qaeda and Saddam when you talk about the war on terror.”) But that statement was part of a series of statements that intentionally and explicitly linked Saddam and al Qaeda in the lead up to war. For example, this statement by Bush on February 8, 2003: Saddam Hussein has longstanding, direct and continuing ties to terrorist networks. Senior members of Iraqi intelligence and al Qaeda have met at least eight times since the early 1990s. Iraq has sent bomb-making and document forgery experts to work with al Qaeda. Iraq has also provided al Qaeda with chemical and biological weapons training. And an al Qaeda operative was sent to Iraq several times in the late 1990s for help in acquiring poisons and gases. Virtually none of that was true. The administration’s hand picked weapons inspector, David Kay, concluded “We simply did not find any evidence of extensive links with Al Qaeda, or for that matter any real links at all.” But to pretend that President Bush never made an effort to link Saddam and al-Qaeda is incredibly irresponsible, even for Fox. UPDATE: Crooks and Liars has the video. UPDATE II: Low on the Hog catalogues all the times Bush linked Saddam and al-Qaeda. (Via Think Progress.) 7:47:44 PM    comment []

Daschle Asked To Depoliticize Iraq War Vote, Bush Refused In recent weeks, President Bush has used the October 2002 Iraq war vote to deflect criticism of his conduct in the lead-up to war. Today’s Los Angeles Times reports that, in September 2002, Sen. Tom Daschle asked President Bush to delay the vote on the Iraq war: “I asked directly if we could delay this so we could depoliticize it. I said: ‘Mr. President, I know this is urgent, but why the rush? Why do we have to do this now?’ He looked at Cheney and he looked at me, and there was a half-smile on his face. And he said: ‘We just have to do this now.’ “ In so doing, President Bush departed from the example of his father, who waited until after the 1990 midterm elections to call for a vote on the first Iraq war. Bush’s decision to rush the vote had two important effects: 1. Members did not have adequate time to review the National Intelligence Estimate.The 90-page unclassified document was delivered to Congress on October 1, the night the hearings began and less than 10 days before the vote. Members “could look at it only under tight security on-site. They could not take a copy with them for review.” 2. The vote was overly politicized. E.J. Dionne noted recently that Bush “forced the war vote to take place under circumstances that guaranteed the minimum amount of reflection and debate, and that opened anyone who dared question his policies to charges, right before an election, that they were soft on Hussein.” (Via Think Progress.) 7:47:05 PM    comment []

Why does Laura Bush hate Christmas? Why does Laura Bush hate Christmas? Monday Funnies White House Gov: MRS. BUSH: Well, all things bright and beautiful is the theme this year. I think it will be really bright and beautiful with this fabulous tree. But thank you all very much. Happy holidays. I know this is the real start of the season, the Monday after Thanksgiving, and so I want to wish everybody happy holidays. And we'll see you later this week with the White House decorations... What will Jerry Falwell say? (hat tip RF) (Via Crooks and Liars.) 7:39:39 PM    comment []

© Copyright 2005 Steve Michel. Last update: 12/2/2005; 7:10:33 PM.